Burnout

Burnout is a condition no Magus wants to talk about, but all must be aware of. A magus with burnout loses some or all of their ability to control magic. Worse still, its duration is very unpredictable, sometimes lasting only a few hours, sometimes months, years, or a lifetime.

Causes

In the vast majority of cases, a magus burns out by overexerting themselves through repeated expenditure of their full ability to cast spells over the course of several days. This is most common among apprentices, as their bodies are unaccustomed to working magical energies, imposing severe limitations on their spellcasting ability. Almost all magi who take on apprentices impose strict limits on their advancement, along with giving vivid descriptions of what can happen; thus the vast majority of apprentice magi are well aware of the risks and the relatively simple efforts needed to avoid them.
This can also happen to magi who push themselves beyond their normal abilities, such as casting high level magic through a spell scroll. In this case, while the energy needed to cast the spell has already been imbued into the scroll, it must still flow through the caster's body, and a spellcaster who fails to properly channel that energy and then tries to force the spell to work may well burn themselves out in the attempt to contain the exccessive amount of energy being cast.
Finally, High Magic occasionally has this effect on anyone who attempts to cast it; experienced Archmagi learn to recognize when their magic is getting away from them in time to let the spell fizzle before it can do harm; some Magi feel it is too great a risk, prefering to perfect their mastery of lesser magics rather than risking it all, especially without good cause.
Additionally, a magus who derives their power from an external entity, such as a cleric or warlock, may lose their powers if they fall out of the favour of that entity. While not technically burnout, it is sometimes mistaken for it, particularly in the case of warlocks, as they often prefer to keep their patron's interest in them to themselves.

Symptoms

The principle symptom of burnout is, of course, the loss of the ability to cast spells, though this can vary tremendously. Some report a burning or freezing in their mind causing their thoughts to recoil from the patterns required to cast the spell, or progress through them so slowly that no magic can be captured to empower it. Others find themselves suddenly confused, tripping over their incantations and ensnaring their fingers together, and still others can perform all the motions of a spell without difficulty, only to find that the effect of the spell inexplciably fails to manifest.

Treatment

Until recently, there has been no formal treatment for magi suffering from burnout; they were simply left to their own devices, occasionally attempting to cast a spell until they found their powers began to return. Such recovery always takes time, and observant physician in Chelestra took notice during the Great War. They realized the recovery process was not unlike the recovery of a patient with a broken bone, and began to develop a treatment program in order to minimize strain while improving the patient's ability to wield magic.

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Rare